"Distracted" driving

My city is trying to pass a bill that would ban people from texting while driving.

Thoughts? Concerns? Praises?

(edit - there is no statewide law against it, although many towns/cities have passed local ordinances)

Personally, I’m against it. I think it would be largely unenforceable, it gets us one step closer to being a nanny state, and there are far better ways of making the streets safer (such as lower speed limits or red light cameras).

There’s a city councilman in my building (whom I just talked to) who said that red-light cameras are a bad idea, because it increases rear-endings by about 300%, and most cities are taking them out.

Then he used the line, “If it saves just one life, it’s worth it.” I hate it when people say that.

i’m against it too. but maybe the value of one life is worth more than a 300% increase in rear endings?

Nanny state is just a label designed to trigger a hate response in adult males’ emotions.

Your city should allow hands-free eyes-on-the-road communication (e.g. speech-to-text and text-to-speech on a cell phone that routes to bluetooth or car speakers + mike) and ban others with a suitable loophole for emergencies.

Yes radios and kids distract drivers too. No that’s no reason to allow even more distractions.

Yes people should be responsible adults and know when it’s safe to drive and text and when it’s not. But they are not. Nobody starts out saying I want to have an accident.

This will all be redundant anyway when self-driving cars are the norm in 2025. You could text, shave, eat, - just treat the car as a small moving house.

Texting while driving = very, very, very bad and it should be banned, even if not enforceable.

Red light cameras are fairly common in this area and they are nothing but a money grab. There are reputable studies that do indicate that they increase rear-endings, but they also decrease side-impact collisions, which tend to be much more deadly. Towns don’t actually give a crap about that though, they just want the $$$$$$.

Wait what? There’s no law against this! I’ve always thought that (atleast in the western world) using a mobile phone is not permissible - whether it’s for a call or text or listening to a voicemail.

Studies have shown texting while driving is about as dangerous as drunk driving (all depends on how drunk). Either way, it’s a problem and people do die because of it. It should be illegal.

Talking on the phone (actually holding a phone and talking) while driving is absurd too. In a non-scientific study conducted by me, 92% of the drivers I honk/flip-off/yell at are on their phones. They suck too.

Sent from my iPhone 6+ while driving

Absolutely absurd. What’s next? Banning girls from wearing bikers when they run?

I think some 40+ states have laws against it. Texas is not one of them.

Per my city councilman, Texas has precisely three “distracted driving” laws:

  1. People younger than 18 can’t be on their cell phones while driving,
  2. Nobody can be on a cell phone in a school zone,
  3. Bus drivers can never be on a cell phone.

My state (commonwealth, actually) has a no texting while driving law but it’s a joke: $50 fine (plus court costs), no points, and doesn’t even go on your driving record.

Texting while driving = very, very, very bad and it should be banned, even if not enforceable.

in Alberta, we have distracted driving laws.

pretty sure I can’t eat a sandwich while driving…carrots are okay though.

…and the other 8% are Asian female drivers. But seriously, this is an excellent post by STL.

#KeepYourEyesOnTheRoad #itcanwait

text and driving is dangerous. I’ll admit having 2 near accidents while texting/driving years ago, and it scared me enough to stop doing it.

but yes, hard to enforce.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/calif-cops-pose-panhandlers-distracted-driving-sting-article-1.2302176

They were hiding in plain sight.

Four officers with the San Bernardino Police Department camped out along a California highway off-ramp posing as panhandlers as part of an undercover sting to bust distracted drivers.

It worked.

The four-hour operation led to 50 total vehicle stops, including 33 for cell phone violations, 15 seat belt violations and five cars impounded because the drivers were either unlicensed or driving on suspended licenses, police said.

Officers Walton and Alvarez wore sunglasses and plainclothes and held cardboard signs — like those held by a panhandler asking for money — with a twist.

Officer Alvarez helped the department ticket 50 different drivers during the four-hour sting this month.SAN BERNARDINO POLICE DEPARTMENT Officer Alvarez helped the department ticket 50 different drivers during the four-hour sting this month.

“I am NOT homeless,” the officers wrote by hand on the cardboard. “SB police looking for seatbelt/cell phone violations.”

Texting is illegal while driving in California, while motorists can only speak on the phone using a hands-free device or headset

^ They should do that where I live. Too many idiots and arseholes driving distracted.

If it saves lives, why not? I think I read that texting is WORSE than being drunk. It is a huge distraction. It is dangerous. You’re operating a 2 ton WEAPON.

On another note, Philedelphia hands out fines for texting while WALKING.

#BothhandsonthewheelBotheyesontheroad

According to the study linked below, texting is six times more dangerous than driving with a BAC of .08 (the legal limit). But, that’s a bit misleading because that’s the absolute lowest amount of alcohol you can have in your system and be considered drunk. I guarantee a driver with a BAC of .30 is much worse off than even the most absent-minded 16 year old girl texting while driving.

http://distracteddriveraccidents.com/texting-driving-dangerous-drunk-driving/

^ Yeah, at 0.30 a person should count themselves lucky if they’re able to hold their bladder, let alone operate a car.

I watched wolf of wall street on netflix while on 95 coming back from miami luckily didnt get stopped or anything i heard big truck drivers actually do that too but get a huggeeee fine if caught